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The Lions may have failed to make a mark on the rugby field for some time now but their new-found ambition for success could see them raid the Blue Bulls kraal of one of their rising stars in Springbok Chiliboy Ralepelle.

The deal could also apparently see the hooker become the new Lions captain.

Vata Ngobeni reports for The Pretoria News:

Ralepelle earlier in 2009 renewed his contract with the Bulls for another two years but the Bulls’ decision to re-sign former Springbok hooker Gary Botha from English club Harlequins has possibly soured what seemed like a matrimony that could have seen Ralepelle become the first African captain of the Bulls.

However, the Bulls are adamant that Ralepelle is going nowhere and that an offer by the Lions for the hooker will be a direct contravention of rugby laws as he is still under contract to the Bulls. Also permission has not been granted by the Bulls for negotiations to take place.

Nevertheless, Ralepelle’s legal team which consists of top lawyer Ferdie Hartzenburg, who is also Springbok coach Peter de Villiers’ legal representative, have apparently been hard at work trying to find a loop hole in the players agreement with the Bulls. This after Botha’s signing which could see Ralepelle not automatically become the Bulls No.1 hooker.

The past two years have been frustrating for Ralepelle after he recovered from an injury that sidelined him for 18 months but also saw him fall down the pecking order behind Derick Kuun, who will next year move back to flank.

It seems that the assumption was that Kuun’s move would open up the door for Ralepelle to finally start in the No.2 jersey for the Bulls. This would give him the opportunity to prove his worth as the second-best hooker in the country by virtue of him being second in line in the Springbok team.

“Ralepelle is contracted to us until 2011. There has been no breach of contract with the commitments we have agreed to with Chiliboy. If he is injury free and the best then he will start and will get his game time. Nothing has happened and any claims of such a breach are ridiculous.

“If there is a request to talk to him then it is a decision we will have to make. We signed him because we believe in his ability and he can be one of our leaders in the team,” said Blue Bulls Company High performance manager Ian Schwartz on Tuesday.

Schwartz, however, did confirm that there had been informal talks between Lions CEO Manie Reyneke, who would not comment on the issue and BBC CEO Barend van Graan but nothing materialised.

Newly appointed Lions director of rugby and Springbok assistant coach Dick Muir would not be drawn into confirming the Lions desire to sign Ralepelle.

“I don’t know much about what is happening at the Lions and Manie Reyneke would be the best person to talk to,” Muir said.

The Lions have already made inroads in the Bulls kraal with the acquisition of flyhalf Burton Francis, Louis Boshoff and Marius Delport but the significant signature would be that of Ralepelle.

The Bulls have already lost star wing Bryan Habana to Western Province and the Stormers, former Springbok Wayne Julies to a French club and upcoming Emerging Springbok wing Rocco Jansen to Eastern Province.

The proposed deal from Australian Super 14 outfit, Western Force for the Bulls latest Springbok hooker Bandise Maku fell through which raised concern at Loftus that an exodus of their rising black rugby talent is imminent.

“That is obviously a concern. But out of the 26 players we have released in the past two years 18 have been white. Sometimes we release players for the good of their careers. They then have the chance to become No.1 in their position somewhere else Chiliboy, however, is one of our products,” Schwartz said.

It has emerged that there is also interest from the Sharks to sign Ralepelle in light of word that key members of the Springbok starting team might be withdrawn from playing in the 2010 Currie Cup.

Ralepelle was the first African player to captain a Springbok XV two years ago against a World XV in Leicester and will lead the Springbok second string on Friday in their opening match of the end-of-year tour against Leicester.

125 Comments

So it seems Chili wants out at the Bulls!!

Comment 1, posted at 05.11.09 13:41:22 by wpw

hmmmm….

I don’t get this bit It has emerged that there is also interest from the Sharks to sign Ralepelle in light of word that key members of the Springbok starting team might be withdrawn from playing in the 2010 Currie Cup.

Oh, wait… they say “starting team”

Comment 2, posted at 05.11.09 13:50:21 by robdylan

Chili seems to be feeling the heat at the Bulls. Gary Botha’s back and Maku breathing down his neck.

@McLovin (Comment 3) : you guys know I’m a big fan. I’d love to have him at the Sharks, but it ain’t going to help his career any to sit on the bench behind Bismarck at Super 14 level too. He should go to the Lions because they don’t have a hooker.

Bis, Chilli, Tiaan, Adriaan and Gary would then be the five starting hookers. Pretty reasonable reflection of the talent.

Comment 5, posted at 05.11.09 13:56:05 by robdylan

What’s with this loophole business?

If he really wants to go, surely there should be a process in place where he can go to his employer making his desire to leave known.

Then the Lions (or whoever wants him) can make the Bulls an offer. Pay a transfer fee. What’s the problem?

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli’ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

We were nearlay late for school and work respectively, coz we were so opgewonde.. I said to her she must not let that file go out from underneath her eyes, coz I a sure some jealous boy will steel Brussouw!

Comment 34, posted at 06.11.09 09:51:36 by GI Ice (Bulletproof)

@GI Ice (Bulletproof) (Comment 33) : Hehe, my middle boy got it for his birthday, and the little one, who copies the other one, bought himself one with his pocket money. I have as much fun as they do with these cards. I am becoming a card sharp! I tell them which cards to trade for which player. Needless to say, they have next to no Bulls players but their Sharks team is nearly completed

@GI Ice (Bulletproof) (Comment 34) : Becareful, they start getting expensive, everytime we go to the mall, its please can we have cards. Still haven’t managed to find John Smit! My Callum (the baby) has also got Brussow, and Malcolm is trying everything in his power to get it off him

@robdylan (Comment 49) : hopefully it will get better as the day progresses – it’s friday after all

what’s the story with these cards, are you supposed to collect all the players?

Comment 50, posted at 06.11.09 10:19:47 by rekinek

@rekinek (Comment 50) : yes its a folder, and you have to collect cards to complete each of the 5 S14 Franchises i.e: Sharks, Cheetahs, Lions, WP and Bulls. The packs of cards come with 6 cards, and the children trade their duplicates for players they need. Its real fun.

@rekinek (Comment 54) : You are right, there is a new set of cards and folder coming out in December with I believe 10 teams. Besides with all these transfers, many players will have to be exchanged eg: Habana in his hoops, ALberts and Ludick in Black and WHite, Chavanga in red and Skipper in the white and Orange

@rekinek (Comment 70) : It’s not the start time that is the problem….it’s the time it ends thats the real problem…@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 69) : When you have a 3 year old that is up at 4:30 in the morning that actually sounds like a better idea

Comment 88, posted at 06.11.09 11:33:04 by Pokkel

@Pokkel (Comment 88) : Fair point. I actually remember sitting up the whole night to watch an All Black Bok test, and when the broadcast started Dan Retief came on with a sheepish grin and they had got the daylight savings wrong – and there was still an hour to go before kick off……

Rob and others on Keo they are arguing on our front row, this Bulls supporter has come up with quite an innovative idea (I know innovative and Bulls supporter in same sentence, but bare with me) which sounds quite workable, I’ll post it here, what do you guys think?
“There is another option for the Sharks that to you might at first seem ridiculous, but the more you think about it it will grow on you, especially now that Alberts will vie for a loosie spot as well.

Seeing as Beast was converted from 8 to 1, why not convert Deysel from 7 to 3.

He is as strong as an ox, he is good on the ground (tight loose), he is a nice length, tall but not too tall, so he can scrum in underneath his opponent like Kobus says on “…dis die vaste vyf” add. Put another 20 kgs on him and he’ll be a monster TH in the Carl Hayman mold.

As Jean matures, he will find himself increasingly having to fight his weight, which if not controlled will make him even slower than he is already, which is probably his only downside as a 7 flanker. Yes, he carries well at times, but too often the opposition stick three okes on him or tackle him from behind because he just lacks that bit of acceleration. So, to try and compensate for that he tries to force his way forward, often going that one yard too far and turning over the ball in the process.

As a TH he doesn’t need to carry long. He can go to ground where he is tackled, protect and recycl;e the ball and bobs your uncle.

@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 94) : How tall is Deysel compared to other tightheads….normally tightheads are shorter so they can scrum underneath the opposition loosehead. He might be able to do loosehead, but unlikely to work as a tighthead.

Comment 97, posted at 06.11.09 12:06:54 by Pokkel

@GI Ice (Bulletproof) (Comment 96) : Agreed, to me its a pheasable idea, that is why I posted it to get our Rugby gurus ideas. Morne is on Keo arguing on the merits of smaller unions and CC. Lengthy passages, so may only get here later I would imagine but maybe Rob when he gets a minute to peek in? Pokkel, Try time, Baldrick any one?

You predicted 59 out of a possible 59 games in the tournament. Of these, you got the game winner right in 49 games for an overall accuracy in picking winners of 83.05%. The community average was 74.61%.

You ranked 590 out of 39,653 players on the global leaderboard. Here’s how you did in your pool(s):

(1) In the pool Sharksworld you finished 6th out of 64 players
(2) In the pool currie cup 2009 you finished 1st out of 12 players – nice work!
(3) In the pool Ice World you finished 2nd out of 18 players – nice work!

You predicted 59 out of a possible 59 games in the tournament. Of these, you got the game winner right in 47 games for an overall accuracy in picking winners of 79.66%. The community average was 74.61%.

You ranked 1,737 out of 39,653 players on the global leaderboard. Here’s how you did in your pool(s):

(1) In the pool Pool 237 you finished 1st out of 21 players – nice work!
(2) In the pool Sharksworld you finished 11th out of 64 players

You predicted 57 out of a possible 59 games in the tournament. Of these, you got the game winner right in 48 games for an overall accuracy in picking winners of 84.21%. The community average was 74.61%.

You ranked 232 out of 39,653 players on the global leaderboard. Here’s how you did in your pool(s):

Same (I mean for the pool size) I am bit dissapointed that I was lying 2nd for a while and ended up 6th..but NEXT time!

Comment 119, posted at 06.11.09 15:23:15 by GI Ice (Bulletproof)

ok, but seriously, Wolla has struggled a little with injury this year (I blame that on his high workload) but has otherwise been great. The only reason he’s a marked man is because everybody has worked out that he is the Sharks’ only ball-carrier, so they target him. Put him in a pack with a few more ball-carrying options (and one that isn’t getting stuffed at every breakdown) and you won’t see him being stopped as often.

Comment 120, posted at 06.11.09 15:28:48 by robdylan

@GI Ice (Bulletproof) (Comment 119) : i was 1st for 1 week and then just dropped to 10th only to make late surge for 4 – so overall quite chuffed.

Comment 121, posted at 06.11.09 15:29:59 by rekinek

can we have tonight’s game thread – i know it’s early but we can start speculate